Burnsville, Minnesota - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Burnsville is a city 15 miles (24.1 km) south of downtown Minneapolis in Dakota County

Dakota County, Minnesota

Dakota County is the third most populous county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The county is bordered by the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers on the north, and the state of Wisconsin on the east. Dakota County comprises the southeast portion of seven-county Minneapolis-St. Paul, the thirteenth...

in the U.S. state of Minnesota

Minnesota

Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...

. The city lies on the south bank of the Minnesota River

Minnesota River

The Minnesota River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 332 miles long, in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It drains a watershed of nearly , in Minnesota and about in South Dakota and Iowa....

, upstream from the confluence with the Mississippi River

Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...

. Burnsville and nearby suburbs form the southern portion of Minneapolis-Saint Paul, the fifteenth largest metropolitan area

Metropolitan area

The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...

in the United States, with about 3.6 million residents. According to the 2010 United States Census, the population is 60,306.

Known in the metro area for its regional mall, Burnsville Center

Burnsville Center

Burnsville Center is located in Burnsville, Minnesota. It is one of the larger enclosed malls in Minnesota with over 150 stores and approximately...

, the city is also a recreational attraction with Alimagnet Dog Park, a section of Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve, and 310 feet (94.5 m) vertical ski peak Buck Hill

Buck Hill

Roger "Buck" Hill is an American jazz tenor and soprano saxophonist.Hill began playing professionally in 1943 but held a day job as a mailman in his birthplace of Washington, D.C. for over thirty years. He played with Charlie Byrd in 1958-59, but was only occasionally active during the 1960s...

. Minnesota River wildlife is protected by the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge

Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge

The Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge is a 14,000 acre National Wildlife Refuge in central Minnesota. There are eight refuge units strung along of the Minnesota River. Located just south of the city of Minneapolis, this is one of only four American national wildlife refuges in an urban...

.

Originally a rural Irish farming community, Burnsville became the tenth largest Minnesotan city in the 2000 Census following the construction of Interstate 35

Interstate 35

Interstate 35 is a north–south Interstate Highway in the central United States. I-35 stretches from Laredo, Texas, on the U.S.-Mexico border to Duluth, Minnesota, at Minnesota Highway 61 and 26th Avenue East. Many interstates used to have splits or spurs indicated with suffixed letters , but I-35...

. Currently the sixth largest suburb in the metro area and a bedroom community of both Minneapolis and Saint Paul

Saint Paul, Minnesota

Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...

, the city was fully built by the late 2000s. Burnsville has been building a downtown area called Heart of the City with urban-style retail and condominiums. The Burnsville Transit Station

Burnsville Transit Station

The Burnsville Transit Station is a transit facility located in the downtown vicinity of Burnsville, Minnesota, and is the flagship of the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority. It is a major park and ride location, with approximately 1200 parking spaces. It is also a major route transfer hub for the...

serves as the hub and headquarters of the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority

Minnesota Valley Transit Authority

The Minnesota Valley Transit Authority is a public transportation agency that provides fixed-route and demand-responsive bus services to several communities in the southern portion of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. The service area currently includes the cities of Apple Valley,...

, providing regional bus service to five other suburbs.

The name Burnsville is attributed to an early Irish settler and land owner, William Byrne. His surname was recorded as "Burns" and was never corrected.

History

Mdewakanton

Mdewakantonwan are one of the sub-tribes of the Isanti Dakota . Their historic home is Mille Lacs Lake in central Minnesota, which in the Dakota language was called mde wakan .As part of the Santee Sioux, their ancestors had migrated from the Southeast of the present-day United States, where the...

Dakota

Sioux

The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...

were the earliest inhabitants who came through the Minnesota River

Minnesota River

, following water fowl and game animals. As part of the greater migration of the Mdewakanton from their ancestral area around Mille Lacs Lake

Mille Lacs Lake

Mille Lacs Lake is a lake in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is located in the counties of Mille Lacs, Aitkin and Crow Wing, roughly 100 miles north of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area....

to the river confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers, Chief Black Dog, around 1750, established his band at a permanent village at the isthmus between Black Dog Lake (from which is named after him) and the Minnesota River, near the present site of the Black Dog Power Plant. The permanent camp was reported by early settlers as being inhabited by over 250 Dakota. At the south end of Burnsville, Crystal Lake, recorded as "Minne Elk" was utilized for abundant fish, leisure and burial. It was also a gathering spot where Dakota watched deer

Deer

Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...

or bucks drink at the lake from the top of Buck Hill, in which was named by early settlers who witnessed this activity. Three large burial mounds were discovered after European settlement.

The Dakota nation ceded land in 1851

Treaty of Traverse des Sioux

The Treaty of Traverse des Sioux was a treaty signed on July 23, 1851, between the United States government and Sioux Indian bands in Minnesota Territory by which the Sioux ceded territory. The treaty was instigated by Alexander Ramsey, the first governor of Minnesota Territory, and Luke Lea,...

and many relocated to Chief Shakopee's village—the current Shakopee-Mdewakanton Indian Reservation

Shakopee-Mdewakanton Indian Reservation

The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community is located within parts of the cities of Prior Lake and Shakopee in Scott County, Minnesota, and was previously known as Prior Lake Indian Reservation until it was modified by the Indian Reorganization Act on November 28, 1969. As of the 2000 census, there...

in nearby Prior Lake

Prior Lake, Minnesota

In 2007, there are an estimated 19,319 residents. The population density was 1,207 people per square mile . There were 5,791 housing units at an average density of 428.9 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 94.5% White, 0.8% African American, 2.1% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.3%...

. The first European settlers were mostly Irish and Scottish

Scottish people

The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...

farmers who came upriver from Saint Paul. One of these Irish settlers was William Byrne, who had immigrated

Immigration

Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...

in 1840 from County Kilkenny

County Kilkenny

County Kilkenny is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. The territory of the county was the core part of the ancient Irish Kingdom of Osraige which in turn was the core of the Diocese of...

, Ireland to Hamilton

Hamilton, Ontario

Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...

, Ontario

Ontario

Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

, Canada. In 1855, he settled at the present day junction of County Road 34 and Judicial Road near the Scott County

Scott County, Minnesota

Scott County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It was organized in 1853 and named in honor of General Winfield Scott. As of 2010, the population was 129,928. Its county seat is Shakopee...

line, just southeast of old downtown Savage

Savage, Minnesota

Savage is a suburban city south-southwest of downtown Minneapolis in Scott County in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city is situated on the south bank of the Minnesota River in a region commonly referred to as South of the River, comprising the southern portion of Minneapolis-St. Paul, the...

. He subsequently donated land there for a church, school

School

A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...

, and a cemetery

Cemetery

A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...

as well as serving Town Chairman. In 1858, the Dakota County Board authorized Byrnsville Township

Township

The word township is used to refer to different kinds of settlements in different countries. Township is generally associated with an urban area. However there are many exceptions to this rule. In Australia, the United States, and Canada, they may be settlements too small to be considered urban...

in the north by the Minnesota River, east by Eagan

Eagan, Minnesota

Eagan is a city south of Saint Paul in Dakota County in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies on the south bank of the Minnesota River, upstream from the confluence with the Mississippi River. Eagan and nearby suburbs form the southern portion of Minneapolis-St. Paul, the fifteenth largest...

and Apple Valley

Apple Valley, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 45,527 people, 16,344 households, and 12,405 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,625.5 people per square mile . There were 16,536 housing units at an average density of 953.6 per square mile...

, south by Lakeville

Lakeville, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 43,128 people, 13,609 households, and 11,526 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,192.4 people per square mile . There were 13,799 housing units at an average density of 381.5 per square mile...

, and west by Scott County. There is some ambiguity of if the name actually derived from William Byrne since there were people with the surname "Burns" living in the area (a Scottish variant). The Town Clerk recorded variations between "Burns" and "Byrnes" but at the 1960s city incorporation, the "Burnsville" spelling prevailed. The school district

School district

School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools.-United States:...

was organized during this time as well. Burnsville originally comprised the present-day downtown of Savage (then known as Hamilton) until county border revisions by the legislature. The Irish and Scottish settlers of this time left their names on many area roads and parks and their religion in Presbyterian

Presbyterianism

Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...

, Protestant

Protestantism

Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...

, and Catholic

Catholicism

Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....

churches.
In the 19th century, Burnsville was considered a long distance from downtown Minneapolis. Rail access came in 1864 and Burnsville became a resort town

Resort town

A resort town, sometimes called a resort city or resort destination, is a town or area where tourism or vacationing is a primary component of the local culture and economy...

, with cottage

Cottage

__toc__In modern usage, a cottage is usually a modest, often cozy dwelling, typically in a rural or semi-rural location. However there are cottage-style dwellings in cities, and in places such as Canada the term exists with no connotations of size at all...

s along Crystal Lake as well as Orchard Lake and Marion Lake in nearby Lakeville. The Bloomington Ferry provided river crossings until 1889 when the Bloomington Ferry Bridge

Bloomington Ferry Bridge

The Bloomington Ferry Bridge is a 1.1-mile expressway bridge across the Minnesota River between Bloomington, Minnesota and Shakopee, Minnesota that carries U.S. Route 169. The current bridge opened in 1996. This bridge was designated Hennepin County Road 18 and Scott Country Road 18 upon its 1996...

was built. By 1920 the Lyndale Avenue Drawbridge

Drawbridge

A drawbridge is a type of movable bridge typically associated with the entrance of a castle surrounded by a moat. The term is often used to describe all different types of movable bridges, like bascule bridges and lift bridges.-Castle drawbridges:...

opened next to Black Dog Lake, extending Minneapolis' first north south highway to the rural communities of southern Minnesota. Later the bridge, upgraded several times, would be replaced by the I-35W Minnesota River bridge

I-35W Minnesota River bridge

The I-35W Minnesota River Bridge is a six-lane steel girder bridge that carries Interstate 35W across the Minnesota River between Bloomington, Minnesota and Burnsville, Minnesota. It was built in 1960 by the Minnesota Department of Transportation.-History:...

. In 1950, just before the World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

postwar housing boom, Burnsville was still a quiet township with a population of 583 people. School was taught in a one-room schoolhouse containing eight grades.

After the arrival of Interstate 35W in 1960, the next two decades saw the largest boom in population when post-war pressures forced the community to develop at rapid pace. Byrnesville Township was officially incorporated in 1964 after defeating an annexation attempt by the city of Bloomington

Bloomington, Minnesota

Bloomington is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota in Hennepin County. Located on the north bank of the Minnesota River above its confluence with the Mississippi River, Bloomington lies at the heart of the southern...

. Mass housing development followed and a former mayor, Connie Morrison said city managers had foresight in producing shopping nodes in walking distance of most homes. The city became a regional pull when Burnsville Center opened in 1977 and produced the heavily traveled retail strip on County Road 42. The next decade

Decade

A decade is a period of 10 years. The word is derived from the Ancient Greek dekas which means ten. This etymology is sometime confused with the Latin decas and dies , which is not correct....

s leading to the 21st century dealt with managing Burnsville's increasing population and growth which led to providing alternative transportation options, diverse housing projects, and ultimately the "Heart of the City" project. The city approached build-out in the late 1990s and changed focus from new development to redevelopment and rehabilitation of existing structures.

Descendants of the Byrne family still remain in greater Minnesota with the original spelling in their surname. A relative who dedicated William Byrne Elementary in the 1960s considered petitioning to correct the spelling but most of the family had moved away for several decades.

Geography

Fed by receding glacier

Glacier

A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...

s and Lake Agassiz

Lake Agassiz

Lake Agassiz was an immense glacial lake located in the center of North America. Fed by glacial runoff at the end of the last glacial period, its area was larger than all of the modern Great Lakes combined, and it held more water than contained by all lakes in the world today.-Conception:First...

12,000 years ago, the Glacial River Warren

Glacial River Warren

right|thumb|210px|The course of the Minnesota River follows the valley carved by Glacial River WarrenGlacial River Warren or River Warren was a prehistoric river that drained Lake Agassiz in central North America between 11,700 and 9,400 years ago...

carved today's Minnesota River valley. On the northern border of Burnsville, the Minnesota River

Minnesota River

winds through marshland and flood plains toward its confluence with the Mississippi. Most of the river is in the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge

Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge

with fish, wildlife, and parkland managed collectively by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Burnsville also contains the Black Dog and Lower Minnesota River Watershed Districts managed by the Dakota County Soil and Water Conservation District
According to the United States Census Bureau

United States Census Bureau

The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the city has a total area of 26.7 square miles (69.2 km²), of which, 24.9 square miles (64.5 km²) of it is land and 1.9 square miles (4.9 km²) of it (6.96%) is water.

Interstate Highway 35

Interstate 35

splits into Interstate Highways 35W

Interstate 35W (Minnesota)

Interstate 35W , is an Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Minnesota, passing through downtown Minneapolis. It is one of two through routes for Interstate 35 through the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, the other being Interstate 35E through downtown Saint Paul...

and 35E

Interstate 35E (Minnesota)

Interstate 35E is an Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Minnesota, passing through downtown Saint Paul. It is one of two through routes for Interstate 35 through the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, the other being Interstate 35W through Minneapolis. Thus, both ends of I-35E are...

within the city. Other routes in the city include Minnesota Highway 13

Minnesota State Highway 13

Minnesota State Highway 13 is a highway in Minnesota that runs from its intersection with U.S. Highway 65 in Albert Lea to its northern terminus at its intersection with State Highway 149 at the West St...

and County Road 42.

Demographics

The earliest settlers were roughly 250 Mdewakanton Dakota who lived permanently at Black Dog camp. Starting in the 1850s, Old stock Americans from the east coast and French Canadian

French Canadian

French Canadian or Francophone Canadian, , generally refers to the descendents of French colonists who arrived in New France in the 17th and 18th centuries...

s moved into eastern Dakota County near Saint Paul. A decade later, major European immigration began with settlers from Ireland, Scotland, and Great Britain. By the 1900s there were a few Scandinavians from Sweden, Norway, and Denmark but these ethnic group

Ethnic group

An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...

s were mostly concentrated towards Lakeville. Those from Germany and Eastern Europe

Eastern Europe

Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...

would gradually join the minority

Minority group

A minority is a sociological group within a demographic. The demographic could be based on many factors from ethnicity, gender, wealth, power, etc. The term extends to numerous situations, and civilizations within history, despite the misnomer of minorities associated with a numerical statistic...

from the packing jobs in nearby South St. Paul. Irish

Irish diaspora

thumb|Night Train with Reaper by London Irish artist [[Brian Whelan]] from the book Myth of Return, 2007The Irish diaspora consists of Irish emigrants and their descendants in countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, Argentina, New Zealand, Mexico, South Africa,...

descendants maintained the majority through the early 1950s owing to the town's origin, overall land ownership, and the practice of marrying within ethnic clans. The early 20th century's permanent population remained very low as the Minnesota River's lack of bridge

Bridge

A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...

s and streetcar connection isolated the area from development, preventing people from moving south of the river. The lake-side houses around Crystal Lake and Orchard Lake however attracted several various immigrant and first-generation wealthier individuals to temporarily settle or own land in the town limits.

In 1960, the U.S. Census Bureau recorded the population of Byrnesville Township at 2,716 people and soon after, the postwar growth was instantaneous, filling the city with second to third generation European descendants from Minneapolis; more American than ethnic. From 1960 to 1970, the total population accelerated to nearly 20,000 people and by the year 2000, the population arrived at roughly 60,000 people.

According to the 2010 Census, Burnsville has a total population of 60,306. In terms of race and ethnicity, the city was 77.5% White

Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

(73.9% Non-Hispanic Whites

Non-Hispanic Whites

Non-Hispanic Whites or White, Not Hispanic or Latino are people in the United States, as defined by the Census Bureau, who are of the White race and are not of Hispanic or Latino origin/ethnicity. Hence the designation is exclusive in the sense that it defines who is not included as opposed to who is...

), 10.0% Black or African American

Race (United States Census)

, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native

Race (United States Census)

, 5.0% Asian

Race (United States Census)

, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander

Race (United States Census)

, 3.5% from Some Other Race, and 3.5% from Two or More Races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race made up 7.9% of the population. There are 25,759 housing units, of which 24,283 are occupied and 1,476 are vacant.

Economy

Burnsville's biggest employer is its own school district, Independent School District 191, followed by Fairview

Fairview Health Services

Fairview Health Services is a network hospitals and clinics throughout the state of Minnesota. Fairview currently operates ten hospitals, forty eight primary care clinics and numerous specialty clinics in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area and greater Minnesota...

Ridges Hospital, Goodrich

Goodrich Corporation

The Goodrich Corporation , formerly the B.F. Goodrich Company, is an American aerospace manufacturing company based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Founded in Akron, Ohio in 1870 as Goodrich, Tew & Co. by Dr. Benjamin Franklin Goodrich. The company name was changed to the "B.F...

Sensor Systems, Northern Tool + Equipment, Pepsi-Cola Bottling

PepsiCo

PepsiCo Inc. is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Purchase, New York, United States, with interests in the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of grain-based snack foods, beverages, and other products. PepsiCo was formed in 1965 with the merger of the Pepsi-Cola Company...

, YRC

YRC Worldwide

YRC Worldwide Inc. is the holding company for a portfolio of brands including YRC, YRC Reimer, New Penn, USF Holland and USF Reddaway. YRC Worldwide has a comprehensive network in North America with local, regional, national and international capabilities...

, Mackin Educational Resources, Cub Foods

Cub Foods

Cub Foods is a supermarket chain with seventy-three stores in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Eden Prairie, Minnesota-based SuperValu...

, Frontier Communications, and AMS Holding. Manufacturing is the second largest industry. Most of the employers are in the industrial areas in the southwest and the north, with corporate headquarters and modern warehouses in services and manufacturing. Service firms such as internet utilities, news, and real estate are mostly located throughout the north along Highway 13. Almost every brand of car dealership can be found along I-35W on the north and south ends of the city.

Retail shopping is located along County Road 42 and Highway 13 in the west and east sections of the city with local shopping nodes positioned throughout. The largest strip, County Road 42, is lined with suburban strip mall

Strip mall

A strip mall is an open-area shopping center where the stores are arranged in a row, with a sidewalk in front. Strip malls are typically developed as a unit and have large parking lots in front...

s, restaurant

Restaurant

A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...

s, goods and grocery store

Grocery store

A grocery store is a store that retails food. A grocer, the owner of a grocery store, stocks different kinds of foods from assorted places and cultures, and sells these "groceries" to customers. Large grocery stores that stock products other than food, such as clothing or household items, are...

s. Burnsville Center as the anchor of the strip is a 1275703 square feet (118,516.7 m²) regional mall.

Burnsville has a 15–30 minute commute vicinity to many regional attractions and services such as the Mall of America

Mall of America

The Mall of America, also called MOA and the Megamall, is a shopping mall located in Bloomington, Minnesota, a suburb of the Twin Cities, in the United States. It is located southeast of the junction of Interstate 494 and Minnesota State Highway 77, north of the Minnesota River and is across the...

, Valleyfair Amusement Park, Buck Hill Ski Area, the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, downtown Saint Paul and downtown Minneapolis. Adjacent cities of Apple Valley

Apple Valley, Minnesota

, Bloomington

Bloomington, Minnesota

, Lakeville

Lakeville, Minnesota

, and Savage

Savage, Minnesota

provide even more nearby shopping hubs, lakes and parks.

Heart of the City

Burnsville's "Heart of the City" project is a downtown development policy driven by smart growth

Smart growth

Smart growth is an urban planning and transportation theory that concentrates growth in compact walkable urban centers to avoid sprawl and advocates compact, transit-oriented, walkable, bicycle-friendly land use, including neighborhood schools, complete streets, and mixed-use development with a...

, which aims to create an attractive, vibrant, and pedestrian

Pedestrian

A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In some communities, those traveling using roller skates or skateboards are also considered to be pedestrians. In modern times, the term mostly refers to someone walking on a road or footpath, but this was not the case...

-friendly neighborhood setting with economically viable local businesses. The redevelopment encompasses 54 acres (218,530.4 m²) centrally located in Burnsville, a few miles south of the Minnesota River

Minnesota River

. Current phases have already replaced traditional suburban elements such as former gas stations and drive-through services with several four-story mixed-use condominium

Condominium

A condominium, or condo, is the form of housing tenure and other real property where a specified part of a piece of real estate is individually owned while use of and access to common facilities in the piece such as hallways, heating system, elevators, exterior areas is executed under legal rights...

buildings, recalling Main Street architecture

Main Street

Main Street is the metonym for a generic street name of the primary retail street of a village, town, or small city in many parts of the world...

. The centerpiece of the project is Nicollet Commons Park, located on Nicollet Avenue which has drawn residents to enjoy the first phases of the project already completed. A lifestyle center shopping mall anchors east of Nicollet Avenue.
The 1150 seat post-modern style Burnsville Performing Arts Center

Burnsville Performing Arts Center

Opened in January 2009, the Burnsville Performing Arts Center is located at 12600 Nicollet Ave in the Heart of the City in Burnsville, Minnesota. The venue is adjacent to Nicollet Commons Park, which features green space, water fountains, and a 250-seat outdoor performance amphitheater...

opened in January 2009. It's approval in 2007 was among the most controversial issues of the year.

Arts, culture and media

The Burnsville Performing Arts Center

Burnsville Performing Arts Center

is located at 12600 Nicollet Ave in the Heart of the City. The center has two theatres, a 1000 seat Proscenium Stage and an intimate 150 seat Black Box. The lobby is two stories tall, all glass, with a sweeping view of Nicollet Commons Park, the Minnesota River Valley, and the Minneapolis skyline. The art gallery currently holds eight gallery exhibits every calendar year in its 2000 square feet (185.8 m²) space. BPAC's art mission is to celebrate the visual arts by displaying a diverse collection of artwork from local emerging and professional artists. In addition to the theaters and art gallery, there are meeting rooms and a large rehearsal room. Presentations at the Burnsville PAC range from classical music to comedy, from jazz to Christian rock, from country to rock and roll. There are dramas, comedies, local arts organizations and national touring artists. Additional space is available for banquets, special events and receptions.

While the city doesn't have museum

Museum

A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...

s, it does operate the sole major arts institution, the Lake Alimagnet Center for the Arts in eastern Burnsville next to Lake Alimagnet, which provides community space for arts and non-profit groups. Burnsville is a regional leader in youth and teen activities. THE GARAGE

THE GARAGE

The Garage is a non-profit youth center and all-ages music venue in Burnsville, Minnesota, a southern suburb of Minneapolis. It has been a launching point for local bands such as Down and Above, Dropping Daylight, Escape from Earth, Four Letter Lie, Quietdrive, Screaming Mechanical Brain, and The...

Youth Center located near City Hall

City hall

In local government, a city hall, town hall or a municipal building or civic centre, is the chief administrative building of a city...

is a non-profit music club and teen center which has attracted music acts nationally and internationally.

Annually every August or September, the community holds the Burnsville Fire Muster

Muster (Event)

A muster is an event pertaining to fire/rescue services. It is held in a central area such as a park and has many activities for fire department members and sometimes other community members. A muster typically revolves around a firematic competition between fire companies from around the...

. Established in 1980, the event originated in the 1970s as a showcase and short parade for a local fire equipment collector. Taking on the New England

New England

New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...

fire muster tradition, the event now includes a large parade, music concerts, and fireworks.

Homes and businesses in Burnsville receive the same television

Television

Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...

, news, and cable stations as most metro area cities, provided by Comcast and Time Warner Cable. Burnsville Community Television (BCTV) provides public access programs and information. The Burnsville Sun Current and Thisweek Newspapers supply local news and the Minneapolis Star Tribune recently created a South section dedicated to South of the River news.

Parks and recreation

The city contains 1800 acres (7.3 km²) of parkland spread throughout 79 parks and is managed by the Burnsville Parks Department which follows a Parks & Trails Master Plan. Only a third is developed and for recreation with the remainder preserved as natural habitat. Burnsville north border with the Minnesota River is within the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge

Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge

. Crystal Lake

Crystal Lake (Dakota, Minnesota)

Crystal Lake is a lake in Burnsville, Dakota County, Minnesota The lake is a primary source of recreation for the city of Burnsville and the surrounding area. Crystal Beach Park...

is the city's major recreation lake allowing boating

Boating

Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels , focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or water skiing...

, fishing

Fishing

Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....

, jet-skiing, and swimming

Swimming (sport)

Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...

. The Burnsville Skate Park is a free facility during summer hours. The Burnsville Ice Center has two large professional ice rink

Ice rink

An ice rink is a frozen body of water and/or hardened chemicals where people can skate or play winter sports. Besides recreational ice skating, some of its uses include ice hockey, figure skating and curling as well as exhibitions, contests and ice shows...

s.

The Burnsville Athletic Club is an all-volunteer youth sports league. It has an annual participation of nearly 1,300 players in the baseball

Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

leagues for grades K-12, 80–90 boys basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

teams in grades 3–12, and over 400 players in flag and tackle American football

American football

American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...

in grades 2–8. There are also traveling teams for boys' and girls' basketball, girls' fast pitch softball

Softball

Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...

, and 8th grade boys football, which play against similar teams from around the state at a higher competitive level. Other adult sports are provided through the city's recreation department, other recreational organizations, and minor league groups.

Government and politics

Burnsville operates as a Statutory Plan B city under the Minnesota Legislature. Government consists of an elected City Council of one executive mayor and four council members. All four council members are elected at-large to serve four-year terms. The Mayorship term was changed from two to four years in 2000. Administrative duties including employment of the city are in charge of the City Manager. As one of many Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan municipalities, the city is required to regularly submit a Comprehensive Plan detailing infrastructure and development progress to the Metropolitan Council

Metropolitan Council

The Metropolitan Council or Met Council is the regional governmental agency and metropolitan planning organization in Minnesota serving the Twin Cities seven-county metropolitan area. The Met Council is granted regional authority powers in state statutes by the Minnesota Legislature. These powers...

.

Mayor Elizabeth B. Kautz has been mayor since 1994, replacing Ken Wolf (R) who was elected to the State House of Representatives in District 41B. Having been re-elected six times, she has served for over 14 years. Kautz's framework of progressive activity and financial management has been studied and may explain her consecutive re-elections. She cites in her biography, that she has reduced Burnsville's debt, increased infrastructure improvement, maintained the property tax scheduled decrease, established a new youth center, and oversaw the establishment of the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority.

One of her major redevelopment projects has been the Burnsville Heart of the City, identified through community visioning as the intersecting commercial areas near Burnsville Parkway and Nicollet Avenue. In her winning 2008 re-election, the 1,000 seat regional performing arts center component was cited by her opponent as misuse of public funds toward arts.

The city is situated mostly in Minnesota's 40th Senate District, with some portions in District 37, and has traditionally been Republican. Currently, the state senators are Dan Hall

Dan Hall (politician)

Dan D. Hall is a Minnesota politician and a member of the Minnesota Senate who represents District 40, which includes portions of the cities of Burnsville, Savage and Bloomington in Dakota, Hennepin and Scott counties in the southern Twin Cities metropolitan area...

(GOP), District 40, and Chris Gerlach

Chris Gerlach

Chris Gerlach is a Minnesota politician and a member of the Minnesota Senate representing District 37, which includes portions of the cities of Apple Valley, Burnsville and Rosemount in Dakota County, which is located in the southeastern Twin Cities metropolitan area.-Service in Minnesota House...

(GOP), District 37. The state representatives are Pam Myhra

Pam Myhra

Pamela J. "Pam" Myhra is a Minnesota politician and a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives who represents District 40A, which includes portions of Dakota and Scott counties in the southern Twin Cities metropolitan area. A Republican, she is also a certified public accountant by...

(GOP), 40A, and Tara Mack

Tara Mack

Tara Kay Mack is Minnesota politician and a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives representing District 37A, which includes portions of the cities of Apple Valley and Burnsville in Dakota County, which is in the southeastern part of the Twin Cities metropolitan area.Mack was first...

(GOP), 37A.

Burnsville is located in Minnesota's 2nd congressional district

Minnesota's 2nd congressional district

Minnesota’s 2nd congressional district covers the south Twin Cities metro area and contains all of Carver, Scott, Le Sueur, Goodhue and Rice Counties. It also contains most of Dakota County and south Washington County including the cities of Cottage Grove and the southern part of Woodbury...

, represented by John Kline

John Kline (politician)

John Paul Kline is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. The district includes most of the southern suburbs of the Twin Cities, including Apple Valley, Inver Grove Heights, Burnsville and Eagan. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education and career:Kline was born...

, a Republican, who scores 2.8% progressive

Progressivism

Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...

on a range of issues and 88% conservative based on 2006 House

United States House of Representatives

The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

votes.

Education

Burnsville Independent School District 191, which includes Burnsville as well as parts of neighboring cities Savage and Eagan, currently has:

One 10–12 high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....

Burnsville High School
Burnsville High School
Burnsville High School is a three-year public high school located in Burnsville, Minnesota. The school is part of Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District 191, which covers most of Burnsville, as well as parts of the surrounding cities Savage and Eagan, and small parts of Shakopee and Apple Valley...

Three 7–9 junior highs
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...

Eagle Ridge Junior High School
Eagle Ridge Junior High School
Eagle Ridge Junior High School is a junior high school located in Savage, Minnesota. It is a part of the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District . The school serves grades 7-9...

(located in Savage
Savage, Minnesota
Savage is a suburban city south-southwest of downtown Minneapolis in Scott County in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city is situated on the south bank of the Minnesota River in a region commonly referred to as South of the River, comprising the southern portion of Minneapolis-St. Paul, the...

)
John Metcalf Junior High School
Joseph Nicollet Junior High School

Ten K-6 elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...

s

Harriet Bishop (located in Savage)
Edward D. Neill
Gideon Pond
Hidden Valley (located in Savage)
Marion W. Savage (located in Savage)

Rahn

Sioux Trail

Sky Oaks

Sky Oaks elementary school

Sky Oaks Elementary School is a school serving kindergarten through sixth grade. It is located in the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District in Burnsville, Minnesota, located at 100 E 134th St, Burnsville, MN 55337. The school has 598 students. Academic scores are slightly above state averages...

Vista View

William Byrne

About 20.0% of Burnsville's students attend Independent School District 196

Independent School District 196

Independent School District 196 is a K-12 public school district located in the south suburban Twin Cities, near both Minneapolis and St. Paul in Minnesota....

schools; they include: Apple Valley High School

Apple Valley High School (Minnesota)

Apple Valley High School, commonly referred to as AVHS, is a public four-year high school in Apple Valley, Minnesota. It is a part of Independent School District 196 . It is also affiliated with the Minnesota State High School League...

, and Valley Middle School, in Apple Valley

Apple Valley, Minnesota

; and Echo Park Elementary School in Burnsville.

About 10.0% of Burnsville's students attend Independent School District 194

Independent School District 194

Independent School District 194 is a state and nationally recognized K-12 public school district located in Lakeville, Minnesota.Also known as the Lakeville School District, District 194 serves approximately 11,084 students in grades Early Childhood-12 and is one of the fastest growing school...

schools; they include: Lakeville North High School

Lakeville North High School

Lakeville North High School is a public high school in northern Lakeville, Minnesota. Formerly Lakeville High School, LNHS received its current name when a second high school, Lakeville South High School, was built...

, Kenwood Trail Middle School, and Orchard Lake Elementary all of which are in Lakeville

Lakeville, Minnesota

.

Preschool and Early Childhood Education

Parents' Choice For Kids Preschool and Childcare
American Montessori
Anna's Bananas Daycare
Child Development and Learning Center
Destiny Christian Academy
KinderCare

Infrastructure

Burnsville is a fully developed suburban bedroom community. Large pockets of ramblers

Ranch-style house

Ranch-style houses is a domestic architectural style originating in the United States. First built in the 1920s, the ranch style was extremely popular amongst the booming post-war middle class of the 1940s to 1970s...

and split-level

Split level home

A split-level home is a style of house in which the floor level of one part of the house is about half way between the floor and ceiling of the other part of the house. The one story section typically contains a family room, living room, dining room, and kitchen...

houses were due to Interstate 35W's completion in the 1960s which came earlier than most of the metro highways. Burnsville through the 1990s filled in the last of its available land with upscale housing stock and apartment

Apartment

An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...

complexes. In the 2000s Burnsville went under redevelopment activity, producing many four-story residential buildings. The "Heart of the City", a new downtown area, contains mixed-use residential and retail buildings. This has produced a diverse range of housing types from single-family homes to high-density condominiums. Since the city was developed in a sprawl

Urban sprawl

Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a...

fashion, new and old buildings sit between each other. The original industrial area along the Minnesota River is mostly abandoned, and also contains a sealed land-fill site. The new industrial area in the west side of the city contains many manufacturing and corporate headquarters as well as large modern warehouses. West of the new downtown area are new office buildings, where one tower reaches above ten stories.

Transportation

Minnesota Valley Transit Authority

provides regional bus

Bus

A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...

service between many transit hubs within the city, south of the river, and to destinations such as the Mall of America, Downtown Minneapolis, and Southdale Mall. Most residents commute and move around by car. Burnsville contains the Interstate Highway 35

Interstate 35

split with Interstate Highway 35W

Interstate 35W (Minnesota)

leading to downtown Minneapolis and Interstate Highway 35E

Interstate 35E (Minnesota)

to downtown St. Paul. The major on and off-ramps for I-35W are located at Burnsville Parkway, County Road 42, and State Highway 13. County Road 42 and State Highway 13

Minnesota State Highway 13

both provide east-west access to the western suburb of Savage and the eastern suburbs of Eagan and Apple Valley. Major interior arteries include Nicollet Avenue, McAndrews Road (East 138th Street), County Road 5 (Kenwood Trail), County Road 11, Portland Avenue, Southcross Drive, and Lac Lavon Drive.

Utilities and health care

Burnsville Public Works draws water from wells and not the Minnesota River, supplying all homes and businesses. Electricity is provided by Dakota Electric Association, Minnesota Valley Electric Cooperative and Xcel Energy. Natural gas is provided by Centerpoint Minnegasco. Telephone and internet services are provided by Frontier Communications and Qwest.

Fairview Ridges Hospital located south of City Hall along Nicollet Avenue is a 24-hour facility, touting the most advanced emergency, surgery, orthopedic and childcare south of the river. The hospital is within The Ridges campus which includes various medical clinics, services, centers and institutes. Nearby is a Park Nicollet Health Services.

Notable natives and residents

Cole Aldrich
Cole Aldrich
Cole David Aldrich is an American basketball player who is currently playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder in the National Basketball Association . He completed his junior year at the University of Kansas in March 2010. Aldrich was selected as a McDonald's All American in 2006. He attended...

, Basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are a professional basketball franchise based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ; their home court is at Chesapeake Energy Arena....

was born in Burnsville.
Breanne Düren
Breanne Düren
Breanne Düren is an American musician, most notable for her work with electronic music project Owl City and her own solo work.-Early Years:Born as Breanne Elizabeth Dürenberger on October 9, 1987 , she shortened her name to "Breanne Düren" during college for performance purposes. As a child,...

, singer/songwriter, touring keyboardist for Owl City.
Dropping Daylight
Dropping Daylight
Dropping Daylight is a modern rock/alternative rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota. They have toured with Blue October and Breaking Benjamin, and more recently with Army of Anyone and Sick Puppies.-History:...

, music band
Doron Jensen
Doron Jensen
Doron Richard Jensen , is an American restauranteur most notable for founding multiple national restaurant chains.-Career:...

, Founder of Timber Lodge Steakhouse
Sara Groves
Sara Groves
Sara Groves is an American Contemporary Christian singer, record producer, and author....

, contemporary Christian music artist
Gao Hong
Gao Hong
Gao Hong is a composer and performer of the Chinese pipa .Gao has lived in the United States since 1994. She performs traditional and modern Chinese music, with her groups Spirit of Nature and Beijing Trio...

, Chinese pipa
Pipa
The pipa is a four-stringed Chinese musical instrument, belonging to the plucked category of instruments . Sometimes called the Chinese lute, the instrument has a pear-shaped wooden body with a varying number of frets ranging from 12–26...

player
Kristina Koznick
Kristina Koznick
Kristina Koznick is a former alpine ski racer on the U.S. Ski Team; she competed primarily as a slalom racer...

, former World Cup
Alpine skiing World Cup
The FIS Alpine Ski World Cup is the top international circuit of alpine skiing competitions, launched in 1966 by a group of ski racing friends and experts which included French journalist Serge Lang and the alpine ski team directors from France and the USA...

ski racer
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
Kirsten Olson
Kirsten Olson
Kirsten Olson is an American figure skater and actress. As an actress, Olson played the role of Nikki Fletcher, the 'Jumping Shrimp,' in the Disney movie Ice Princess . As a figure skater, Olson placed fifth on the novice level at the 2005 United States Figure Skating Championships and came in...

, ice skater & actress
Melissa Peterman
Melissa Peterman
Melissa Margaret Peterman is an American actress and comedienne who is best known for her role as Barbara Jean in the television comedy series Reba...

, actress
Randy Scheunemann
Randy Scheunemann
Randall J Scheunemann is an American neoconservative lobbyist. He is the President of the Committee for the Liberation of Iraq, which was created by the Project for the New American Century , of which he is a board member. He was Trent Lott's National Security Aide and was an advisor to Defense...

, Washington lobbyist & John McCain Presidential adviser
Lindsey Vonn (née
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...

Kildow), U.S. Ski Team
United States Ski Team
The United States Ski Team, operated under the auspices of the United States Ski and Snowboard Association , develops and supports men's and women's athletes in the sports of alpine skiing, adaptive alpine, freestyle skiing, cross country, adaptive cross country, ski jumping, and nordic combined....

alpine ski racer
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...

, 2008 World Cup
2008 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 42nd World Cup season began in October 2007 in Sölden, Austria and concluded on March 15, 2008, at the World Cup Finals in Bormio, Italy....

overall champion
Nicolas Eugene Walsh
Nicolas Eugene Walsh
Nicolas Eugene Walsh was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the third Bishop of Yakima from 1974 to 1976, and later served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Seattle .-Biography:...

, Roman Catholic bishop
Cedric Yarbrough
Cedric Yarbrough
Cedric Yarbrough is an American comedian and actor.Yarbrough was born in Burnsville, Minnesota. Yarbrough attended Burnsville Senior High School and later Minnesota State University, Mankato. He is also an alumnus of Dudley Riggs' Brave New Workshop in Minneapolis.Yarbrough starred on the Comedy...

, actor
Sing It Loud
Sing it Loud
-History:Sing it Loud grew out of a friendship between cousins vocalist Pat Brown and guitarist Kieren Smith, who founded the group together and added members whom they met locally in the Minneapolis music scene. Brown officially brought the group together after his previous band called it quits....

, music band
James Ruffin, Defensive Lineman for the Cincinnati Bengals of The National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

External links

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